Two weeks ago the Australian Labor Party unanimously passed a resolution committing to recognize an independent state of Palestine if the left faction takes over the government in elections this coming May.
John Salisbury sends up update from Australia regarding the country’s changing politics towards Israel and Palestine. Salisbury recently undertook a 330 kilometer walk from from Sydney to Canberra to highlight the injustice of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
Australia’s immediate past Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, has dramatically changed his views with respect to Israel and Palestine. In his article “Why I’m Now a Friend of Palestine” published in last Saturday’s The Weekend Australian he explains his change of heart. He writes: “Forty years ago I signed up to be president of Labor Friends of Israel; I still count myself a friend of the liberals in that country but it serves the cause of a just peace better by me this week becoming a patron of Labor Friends of Palestine.”
Melissa Parke (ALP, Freemantle WA) spoke in favor of a petition calling for BDS on the floor of the Australian Parliament on Monday night. John Salisbury writes: “Although her speech was a cri de coeur for common sense and common decency it was remarkable for its uniqueness. No Australian politician, except Parke, would deign to speak up for Palestinian suffering in Parliament. In Australia, as in the US, most politicians are just ventriloquist dolls for the pro-Israel lobby. . . But Monday night Parke walked into no man’s land. The brickbats will inevitably follow as our Australian versions of Haim Saban and Jeffrey Goldberg try to take her down. But Melissa, you don’t deserve the brickbats, you deserve bouquets.”
John Salisbury reports from Dr. Marcelo Svirsky’s epic walk from Sydney to Canberra. Svirsky covered the distance of 287 kilometers (just over 178 miles) in 10 days to garner support for a petition to present to the Australian Federal Parliament promoting discussion of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel.